According to the plans of the Ministry of Economic Development, in 2020, the construction of a new city with a population of 500 thousand people will begin in Russia. The settlement, which according to the plan will become a major economic center, will be built on a temporarily undeveloped territory of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, located in the Arctic Ocean between the Barents and Kara Seas.
The city with the working name of Verkhny Novgorod will become the northernmost city of the country and the administrative center of the new constituent entity of the Russian Federation — the Republic of Malaya Zemlya. The Ministry of Economic Development is studying the settlement of a new settlement. The bulk of the townspeople will be composed of migrants from problem regions and former residents of St. Petersburg who have left their homes after the demolition of the historic city center.
“Our country continues to urbanize. In terms of introducing technologies for economic development, we are successfully introducing Chinese experience. The construction of new cities in China allowed them to ensure a 7 percent increase in GDP annually. Having assessed all aspects in detail, the Ministry of Economic Development came to the conclusion that the territory of the Russian Federation is used irrationally. In particular, we maintain and protect large areas that do not ensure the flow of money into the economy. We are talking about islands in the Arctic Ocean. Small Earth is an ideal place to live, especially for Petersburgers or residents of the Urals. This climate is ideal for them, ”the department said.
The plans for the development of the archipelago include the construction of a road-rail bridge connecting the islands with the village of Amderma in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Also on Malaya Zemlya there will be a seaport and an airport. After that, the Ministry of Economic Development will begin to draw up a plan for the development of Franz Josef Land.